May 13, 2014

Book heat level (based on movie ratings): R, due to violence,
no sexual scenes

Joe Stanton is in agony. Out of his mind over the death of his
young daughter. Or so it seems.

Unable to contain his grief, Joe loses control in public, screaming
his daughter's name and causing a huge scene at a hotel on San JuanIsland
in WashingtonState. Thing is, Joe Stanton doesn't have
a daughter. Never did. And when the authorities arrive they blame the 28-year-old's
outburst on drugs.

What they don't yet know is that others up and down the Pacific
coast—from the Bering Sea to the Puget Sound—are
suffering identical, always fatal mental breakdowns.

With the help of his girlfriend—the woman he loves and dreams
of marrying—Joe struggles to unravel the meaning of the hallucination destroying
his mind. As the couple begins to perceive its significance—and Joe's role in a
looming global calamity—they must also outwit a billionaire weapons contractor bent
on exploiting Joe's newfound understanding of the cosmos, and outlast the time bomb
ticking in Joe's brain.

Buy This Book

Interview with Joe Stanton

Tell us about yourself, please.

My name is Joe Stanton
and I am a 28-year-old Episcopal Priest. I am in love with a beautiful woman named
Ella Tollefson.

What is it that you want, but cannot have? Authors call this
the conflict of the story. I began suffering
from severe hallucinations a few days ago. I want to figure out what's causing them
and make them stop.

What's your internal limitation? Meaning, what is it about
you that makes it so you cannot do what it is you need to do during this story?
My internal limitation is lack of understanding.
I'm only just beginning to unravel the cause of the sudden hallucinations and the
deeper mystery behind them.

What inner doubt causes you the most difficulty? I fear for Ella's safety. I fear that I'm endangering
the person I love most in the world.

What's your external complication? In the story world your
author created, explain what it is you fear most. I fear the loss of all that I love and hold dear.

Tell us about your significant other, that person who makes
living worthwhile. Ella Tollefson is
a beautiful young woman whom I met in the wilderness—in Olympic National Park in
WashingtonState. Ella is sweet, kind, funny, athletic
and intelligent. She's a registered nurse, working to become a nurse anesthetist.
I love her more than anyone I've ever met. I'm crazy about her.

What would that person say about you? She loves me. She likes my weird sense of humor.
We laugh a lot when we're together. I'm sure I get on her nerves sometimes but she
is amazingly patient.

What is your family like? I'm an only child and my folks live on the East Coast. They've come to visit
me a couple of times out here in Western Washington.
We get along great. They're proud of my achievements and the spiritual vocation
I've selected.

What special skills do you rely on? Intuition. Faith. I'm a skeptic, and my church
is super progressive, but I do believe in a higher power.

If someone from your past showed up, who would you NOT want
it to be, and why? An old girlfriend.
Ella might not be too happy about that.

Are you happy with the way your story ended? Why or why not?
Yes, very. Readers keep asking about
a sequel, and that makes me happy.

Exodus 2022

About the Writer

You have the length of
a tweet (140 characters) to describe yourself as a writer. Let's see what you can
do.

I herd words. My Australian Shepherds herd me. My first book,
THE GAIA WARS, was optioned for a movie.

Why do you write?

Kenneth G Bennett

To make a living. I've made my living as a professional ad copywriter
for the past 20 years, working for clients such as Volvo, Disney, Starbucks and
Amazon.

What do you want to write
next?

I'm working on a sci-fi thriller called THE HEALER, about a man
who discovers later in life that he has a unique healing power—a power that could
change the world.

Are any sequels planned
for this book?

I wasn't planning on a sequel to EXODUS 2022 but a lot of readers
are asking for one. I think that's fantastic and I would love to oblige.

Is there anything you'd like to say to your readers? Thank you
for your interest and for considering my work!

Author Bio

Kenneth G. Bennett is the author of the young adult novels, The
Gaia Wars and Battle For Cascadia, and the new sci-fi thriller, Exodus 2022. A wilderness
enthusiast who loves backpacking, skiing and kayaking, Ken enjoys mysteries, science
fiction, action adventure stories and, most especially, novels that explore the
relationship between humans and the wild. He lives on an island in the Pacific Northwest with his wife and son and two hyperactive
Australian Shepherds.

The Gaia Wars series was optioned for film by Identity Films,
LA in 2012, and both Gaia and Battle
have been featured as Top 100 Bestsellers in Teen Literature and Fiction on Amazon.
Kirkus Reviews called The Gaia Wars "A solid first entry of a promising, imaginative
new young-adult fantasy series featuring a well-crafted character."

JoAnne Myers

JoAnne Myers

JoAnne Myers

JoAnne Myers

JoAnne Myers

KD Friedrich

Kayelle Allen

Kayelle Allen

Kayelle Allen

Kayelle Allen

Kayelle Allen

Kayelle Allen

Daily Writing Tip

Unstoppable Heroes

Kayelle Allen's Personal Blog

SFR Brigade

Science Fiction Romance

Hottest Writers on the Web

Read RLF on Kindle

Be a guest on RLF

Open dates for guests are on the left side of the screen. Click the Request a Date tab and you can fill out an easy form to request a spot. For more details and info, visit our Guest Blogger FAQ page, and download the pdf guide to all things RLF.